Star date: 23rd June 2016

DESPITE PUBLIC OPPOSITION, SALFORD ROYAL SET TO APPROVE MEAL PRIVATISATION

Despite over two thousand people opposing plans for the privatisation of patient catering, Salford Royal Hospital is set to make a decision on the go-ahead at its Trust Board meeting on Monday.

Stop The Slop campaigners have now called a lobby of the Trust for Monday morning, 27th June, at 9.30am outside the Mayo building entrance and are urging the public to join them. 

Full details here...

Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust plans to close its highly rated hospital kitchen despite huge public support to keep it open, cooking fresh food for patients. Salford Royal intends to replace the service with re-heated ready-meals assembled miles away in a factory.

As well as serving freshly prepared food that patients prefer, on-site hospital kitchens support the local economy by providing skilled work and creating a market for local suppliers, while on-site kitchens can also be more flexible and responsive to patients' dietary requirements.

A recent report from UNISON showed that almost nine in ten (86%) staff report receiving negative comments from patients about food prepared elsewhere, while the union is also worried about the `secretive tendering process'. If the plans go ahead the Trust will close the hospital kitchen and convert it into office space at considerable cost, with no chance of re-opening it in the future. 
   
There's been huge opposition to the privatisation, with over two thousand people signing a petition, while the Stop The Slop campaign has been backed by Salford and Eccles MP, Rebecca Long Bailey, who has also raised the issue in Parliament.
 
Meanwhile, a letter calling upon "Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust to reverse this decision, put patients and staff first and keep their hospital kitchen open" has been signed by Dr Ruth Wiggans and Dr David McCoy of Medact, Lucy Danger of Good Food Greater Manchester, Robin Ireland of the Health Equalities Group, Helen Woodcock of The Kindling Trust, Joanna Lewis of the Soil Association Food for Life, Katherine Button of the Campaign for Better Hospital Food and Martin Rathfelder of the Socialist Health Association.

"People in hospital need good quality fresh food" says Stop the Slop campaigner and UNISON Regional Organiser Wendy Allison "We are worried that the Trust is going to throw away its excellent in-house patient catering service for a short-term cost saving.  This is a false economy - when the first contract runs out the Trust will have no kitchen of its own and will be vulnerable to being ripped off.  
 
"We are urging people to join the peaceful lobby on Monday morning" she adds "The Trust Board needs to stop this plan before it's too late."   

Stop The Slop Lobby
Monday 27th June 9:30am
Salford Royal Hospital
Outside the Mayo Building